Combined throttle-valve and stop-valve.



PATENTED' DEC. 12, 1905 G. R. SMITH. COMBINED THROTTLE VALVE AND STOPVALVE.

APPLICATION FILED APB. 25.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905.

G. R. SMITH. COMBINED THROTTLE VALVE A'ND STOP VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED APB. 25.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A @w u UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE B. SMITH, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONEHALF TO JOSEPH E.BOWEN, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

COMBINED THROTTLE-VALVE AND STOP-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed April 25, 1905. Serial No. 257,356.

To wZZ whom, it Huey concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia,have invented new and useful Improvements in a Combined Throttle-Valveand Stop-Valve, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to steam-boilers, and especially to those of thelocomotive type. Its object is to provide an improved means forcontrolling the flow of steam from the boiler into the pipe whichsupplies the cylinders of the engine.

Although the device is applicable to various kinds of boilers, I shall,for the. sake of simplicity, describe it in its application to alocomotive.

The throttle-valve of a locomotive is usually mounted on the upper endof an upright extension of the dry-pipe in a dome rising above the topof the boiler. The valve is operated by rods and levers which arelocated inside the dome and boiler and are connected through astuiiing-box with the throttle-valve lever in the cab. The result isthat these parts frequentlybecome corroded and rustyand clogged with mudand scale, so that in a large locomotive it requires a great deal ofstrength to operate them. Moreover, they are diificult to get at forrepair, and it is of course necessary to blow off steam from the boilerbefore this can be done. The loss of time thus occasioned is serious,especially where there are many engines to keep in order. Furthermore,the modern locomotive has a number of attachments that require steam,and these are usually fed by connections tapped through theboiler-shell, making a large number of points where joints must be kepttight and where there is danger of accidentally knocking oif a pipe andpermitting an escape of steam. My invention aims to avoid all thesetroubles and many others also, as will appear from the followingdescription.

It consists, in brief, of a combined stop and throttle valve mounted ina casing attached to the outside of the dome, where all parts arereadily accessible and where connections can be easily made for theair-pump and other steam-operated attachments.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of aportion of a locomotive, showing my improvements. Fig. 2 is a rearelevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the valve, and Fig. 4 is ahorizontal section thereof. f

The steam-dome 1 rises from the boiler 2 near the cab 3, and in one sideof it, preferably at the back, is cut a hole or holes to admit two necksat 5, projecting from a casing 6, which is secured to the outside of thedome by a steam tight joint. In this casing is mounted the throttlevalveand also, by preference, a stop-valve,.both controllable from the cab byseparate levers and rods. When both valves are used, the upper neck 4admits steam to the stop-valve and the lower neck 5 conveys the steamfrom the throttle-valve to the dry-pipe 7, the two valves being locatedin separate chambers in the casing, which can be put in communication byoperating said valves. By means of a short pipe 7 steam is taken fromthe upper part of the dome, where it is driest. The necks enable thepipes 7 7 to be attached by ground joints or with soft packing. Ineither case they can be made and tested from inside the'dome.

The preferred form of construction is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, where itis seen that the casing has three chambers 8, 9, and 10, formed bysuitable partitions 11, '12, and 13, which are stifiened by suitableribs 14. The neck 4 communicates with the chamber 8 and the neck 5 withthe chamber 10. In the partitions 11 and 13 are openings serving,respectively, as valve-seats for the stop-valve and the throttle-valve.These are preferably of the balanced type, as shown, having twovalve-disks 15 15, connected by a spool 16 16, all mounted on a stem 1717. The stop-valve controls the flow of steam from the chamber 8 to thechamber 9, and the throttle-valve controls the flow of steam from thechamber 9 to the chamber 10. The stems 17 17 pass out through stufiingboxes 18 on bonnets 19, secured over openings in one end of the casing,and are provided with suitable heads 20 for the attachment of theoperating mechanism. Thispreferablycomprisesrock-shafts journaledconcentrically in a bracket on the casing and provided with rock-arms21, car rylng wrlst-pins engaging with slots in said? as to be readilyhandled. A screw-plug 26 I is inserted in the casing in line with thestem of the throttle-Valve for a purpose hereinafter set forth. One ormore suitable apertures 27 are formed in the casing for the attachmentof the air-pump, injector, &c. These apertures open into theintermediate chamber 9.

The operation of my invention is as follows: When steam is raised, itfills the chamber 8 through the pipe 7, so'that when the stop-valve isopened wide dry steam is admitted to the intermediate chamber 9. Thissteam is at once available for the air-pump and other steam attachments.When the engine is to be startec Lthe throttle-valve is openedgradually, and the flow of steam through the dry-pipe is regulatedthereby in the usual manner. At the end of the run, when the locomotiveis taken to the roundhouse, the stop-valve can be closed, cutting offlive steam from the chambers 9 and 10 and also from the dry-pipe, sothat without blowing otf steam from the boiler it is possible totake offthe bonnet l9 and inspect the throttlevalve and remove it for regrindingor otherwise repairing it, if necessary. Since the operating mechanismis all outside of the boiler, it is not subject to corrosion orclogging, so that the engine can be handled with far less labor on thepart of the runner. After-the engine has been set up the throttle-valveand dry-pipe can be tested'by hydraulic pressure independently of theboiler test, so that a man can examine the dry-pipe from one end to theother and be sure that it is all right.

In case the operating mechanism of the throttle-valve should get out oforder the valve can be forced ofl its seat by means of the screw-plug 26and held open thereby. The stop-valve can then be used as athrottlevalveby means of its operating mechanism, thus saving delays in trafiic.

The valves can be arranged in any position that is most desirable,though I prefer to place them with their stems horizontal, as shown inthe drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combinationwith a boiler having a steam-dome, of a casing secured to the outside ofsaid dome and communicating therewith, a pipe leading from said casing,a hand-operated stop-valve controlling'theadmission of steam to saidcasing, and a valve controlling the admission of steam from the casingto the pipe.

2. The combination with a boiler having a steam-dome, of a casingsecured to the outside of said dome and containing three chambers, oneof which communicates with said dome, a Valve controlling the passage ofsteam from said chamber to the next, and a valve controlling the flow ofsteam from the second to thethird chamber.

3. The combination with a boiler having a steam-dome, of a casingsecured to the outside of said dome and containing three chambers, oneof which communicates with said dome, a valve controlling the passage ofsteam from said chamber to the next, and a valve controlling the flow ofsteam from the second to the third chamber, said Valves being providedwith operating mechanism passing through the walls of said casing.

a The combination with a boiler having a steam-dome, of a casing secured to the outside of said dome and containing three chambers, one ofwhich communicates with said dome, a valve controlling the flow of steamfrom said chamber to the intermediate chamber, a valve controlling theflow of steam from the intermediate chamber to the third, a dry-pipeleading from said third chamber, and separate means for operating saidvalves from outside the casing.

5. The combination with a locomotive-boiler provided with a steam-domeand a dry-pipe, of a throttle-valve and a stop-valve both locatedoutside of said dome, and both controlling the passage of steam fromsaid dome to the dry-pipe.

6. In a locomotive, the combination with the steam-dome, of a casingsecured to the outside thereof, a stopvalve and a throttle-valve mountedin said casing, and separate operating mechanism leading back to the caboutside of the boiler.

7. In a locomotive, the combination with the steam-dome and dry-pipe, ofa stop-valve and a throttle-valve both controlling the flow of steam tothe dry-pipe and separate means for operating said valves by hand.

8. In a locomotive, the combination with the steam-dome and thedry-pipe, of a stop-valve and a throttle-valve both controlling the flowof steam to the dry-pipe, and means for holding the throttle-valvepermanently open in case of accident to its operating mechanism.

9. Inalocomotive, the combination with the steam-dome, of a casingsecured to the outside thereof, a stop-valve and athrottle-valve bothlocated in said casing, operating mechanism located outside the boiler,and means for forcing open the throttle-valve in case of accident to itsoperating mechanism.

10. .In a locomotive, the combination with the steam-dome, of a casingsecured to the outside thereof, a stop-valve and a throttlevalve bothlocated in said casing, operating mechanism for each valve locatedoutside the boiler, and a screw-plug passing through the wall of thecasing in line with the stem of the throttle-valve.

11. In a locomotive, the combination with the steam-dome, of a casingfor the throttlevalve secured to the outside of said dome and having twonecks projecting into said dome. i In testimony whereof I have signed myname to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

G. B. SMITH. WVitnesses:

GEO. P. WHITTLESEY, FRANCIS S. MAGUIRE,

